Reborn, I Became a Male God - Chapter 35

Jing Ling froze for a moment—not because of what Yang Xinyao had said, but because of another voice. He turned his head and saw the speaker through the lowered car window. It was a very beautiful girl, about twenty years old, with slightly wavy long hair and delicate, picturesque features. Her fiery red lips gave her a bold and unrestrained air.

She wore a black evening gown that highlighted her long, graceful neck, adorned with a delicate diamond necklace. Perhaps because of the cold weather, she wore a matching overcoat outside, covering her fragrant shoulders, with her collarbone faintly visible.

Jing Ling suddenly lowered his head. Beside him, Yang Xinyao was taken aback, but quickly recovered and smiled in response, “Yes, are you here for the same thing too?”

The girl nodded. “The Jiang family is halfway up the hill. It’s a bit of a walk from here. Would you like a ride?”

Yang Xinyao nodded vigorously like a pecking chick. “Thank you so much! Jing Ling, get in the car!” She spoke as she opened the door and climbed in first, then leaned out to call Jing Ling.

Without saying a word, Jing Ling got into the car.

The car started and headed up the mountain.

Being naturally sociable, Yang Xinyao leaned over the seat and asked the girl, “Hello, I’m Yang Xinyao. What’s your name?”

Tan Yunshu. “Tan” as in sandalwood, “Yunshu” as in “Who sends the brocade-letter from the clouds?”

The girl hadn’t answered yet, but Jing Ling already knew. Sure enough, in the next moment, he heard the girl say, “Tan Yunshu. ‘Tan’ as in sandalwood, ‘Yunshu’ as in ‘Who sends the brocade-letter from the clouds?’”

“Wow!” Yang Xinyao’s almond-shaped eyes widened. “I love that name! Oh, and this handsome guy next to me is called Jing Ling.”

“Hello!” Jing Ling greeted succinctly.

“Hello!”

The car smoothly ascended the winding mountain road, the scenery on both sides retreating quickly. Jing Ling’s thoughts drifted with it.

—

How does one push a person into despair? Different people require different methods. In distant memories, Jing Ling had experienced it firsthand.

From a young age, she had been one of the best among her peers. From first grade through the end of high school, she consistently held the top spot in the entire school. Even during the several statewide exams in her final year, she placed first. Although she suffered a minor incident the day before the college entrance exam and didn’t perform at her best, she still ranked third. After entering university, she naturally became a campus star. From the second semester of freshman year to the first semester of junior year, she passed four exams with theoretical-limit precision, completing all 14 ACCA subjects in one go. Then, in her second semester of junior year, she finished all her credits. In her senior year, she took the postgraduate entrance exam and was admitted to the finance department of Walton University—one of the global top five—with a full scholarship.

Many behind her gossiped, claiming her strong background helped. True, she came from a wealthy family. But aside from affording her a comfortable life, her privileged background offered her no assistance.

“Can’t you just take it easy on an exam? You always come first and always do better than your brother. Are you trying to get him scolded by your father on purpose?!”

“I heard people gossiping again today, saying all the good genes in our family went to you, that’s why your brother can’t compete with you academically. Why did I have you first, I wonder?”

“You’re a girl, what’s the point of going through hardship at the grassroots level? Wouldn’t it be better to find a cushy department job, read some news, chat a bit, and hang out with friends after work?”

“The capital’s too far. No need to go that far for college.”

“What? You want to study abroad for grad school? I forbid it! If you dare go, don’t expect a single cent from this family ever again!”

Too many things like that. Even though they lived in the same residential compound, some were pampered and adored like stars, some behaved recklessly and always had someone cleaning up their messes. But she—her very effort wasn’t allowed. It was smothered in the cradle. At the root of it all, simply because she was a girl.

Girls, they said, what’s the point of studying so much? Graduate, follow the family’s arrangements, marry into a wealthy family, raise kids, live a quiet life. That wasn’t just her parents’ thinking—it was the mindset of the entire family. The girls in the family were essentially tools for arranged marriages, paving the way for their brothers.

She couldn’t control the apathy of others, but she knew she wasn’t willing to accept it! She was obviously better than everyone else—why should she be reduced to a tool?!

Her struggle and resistance earned her brief freedom. But afterward, what awaited her was the breaking of her wings, the removal of her fangs, and the plunge into an abyss of despair.

“Got wings now and think you can fly, huh? Let me tell you something, Tan Yunshu, the Tan family has plenty of daughters—we don’t need you!”

Sitting in a wheelchair, looking at the empty right sleeve, that was the first time she truly understood what despair was.

Tan Yunshu had once been her name. Later, after making an agreement with the system and entering a new world for her first mission, her identity had to be randomly generated. The name could be random or original. She chose random. The light screen displayed two characters—Jing Ling. To celebrate her rebirth, she changed her name to Jing Ling from then on.

—

What is it like to suddenly encounter your former self in a parallel world?

In that moment, Jing Ling truly believed Yang Xinyao’s words—destined by fate. 

All the thoughts he once had in his most despairing moments had now come true. This was his deal with the system. Though it didn’t go exactly as planned in the end, it still fulfilled his wish.

How I wished someone could help me… I didn’t expect them to clear the path for me. As long as I could stay whole, even with nothing, I could rise again by my own hands!

This time, you no longer need to beg in such humiliation. I won’t let you go through that darkness and despair again. You can carry your beautiful hopes—whatever you desire, I’ll make it happen. All you have to do is charge ahead, and I’ll clear the way for you.

“Jing Ling, what are you zoning out for? We’re here!” Yang Xinyao’s voice pulled him back to reality.

Jing Ling looked up and out the window. In the spacious clearing, luxury cars filled the space, and well-dressed men and women got out and walked toward the villa ahead. “Still not getting out?” Yang Xinyao held the car door, looking at him.

“Sorry.” Jing Ling smiled and got out of the car. “Let’s go.” The two girls were both lightly dressed. Even though they wore coats, the northern climate was still colder than the south.

The three of them walked from the parking area toward the villa. From afar, they saw a girl in a pink dress step out of the house and look around. When her gaze landed in their direction, her slightly furrowed brows relaxed, and the corners of her lips lifted into a smile. “Jing Ling! Over here!”

It was Jiang Sijin. As the trio approached, they saw her pout slightly and whisper to the man beside her, “Sixth Brother, you’re so unreliable! Good thing Jing Ling made it, or I’d never let you off!”

The man she called Sixth Brother, though dressed in formalwear, couldn’t conceal the aura of someone from the military. He appeared to be about 185cm tall, with a serious expression, but he obediently apologized in a surprisingly gentle tone. “It’s my fault, Xiao Jin. Don’t be mad.” Yet when he looked at Jing Ling, his gaze was icy, openly threatening.

Yang Xinyao glanced at Jing Ling with some surprise, while Tan Yunshu simply lowered her eyes slightly, her expression unchanged.

Jing Ling acted as though he hadn’t noticed, smiling as he handed over a gift. 

“Happy birthday, Miss Jiang.”

Jiang Sijin took the gift and thanked him, handing it to her Sixth Brother, then turned to Jing Ling and said, “Jing Ling, come with me. Grandpa wants to see you!”

“Okay.” He nodded agreeably. He didn’t ask why the powerful head of the Jiang family wanted to see an ordinary citizen—because he already knew the reason. He followed Jiang Sijin into the house, through the main hall, and up to the second floor, arriving at the room at the end of the hallway.

Knock knock. “Grandpa, he’s here.”

“Come in,” came the old man’s voice from within.

“Go ahead. Don’t be scared—Grandpa is a very kind person!” Jiang Sijin whispered reassuringly, then turned and left.

He’s only kind to you, Jing Ling thought, but said nothing and pushed the door open.

It was a study styled after traditional designs, with rows of bookshelves filled with clearly old volumes. Inside were four people. Seated in the main chair was the old master of the Jiang family. Jing Ling could see a resemblance between him and the two Jiang grandsons he’d met. The other two were of similar age to the old master, seated in relaxed postures, clearly of notable status. By the door stood a guard in military uniform, positioned precisely—neither too obvious nor too hidden, standing in the ideal alert zone.

“Youngster Jing Ling, greetings to the elders,” Jing Ling said with a slight bow in their direction.

The old Jiang master nodded, then raised his hand in a gesture. “Yuan Lang, read.”

“Yes, sir!” the guard by the door responded crisply, then began reciting in a clear and formal tone, “Jing Ling, born May 21, 1995, in Qingshan Town, Yunling County, Yuncheng, Western Administrative District… In the summer of 2001, an unnamed old man arrived at Lijia Village…”

The nearly eighteen-year history of this body was recited from beginning to end. They probably even knew the scores of every exam he’d taken. The only omission was likely the fact that he had taken over this body.

“Jing Ling, what is your relationship with that old outsider?” the old master asked. His voice carried natural authority.

Jing Ling ignored the invisible pressure and calmly answered, “Grandpa Li is my master.”

The gray-robed elder to the left of the old master slapped the armrest angrily. “Nonsense! Among the Song, Yang, Bai, Wang, and Li families, their skills have never been passed on to outsiders!”

Jing Ling retorted, “If what you said were true, I wouldn’t be standing here today—would I?”

The gray-robed elder choked on his words, seeming to want to say more, but was stopped by someone else. This man, in contrast to the aloof Jiang elder and the aggressive gray-robed elder, was much more amiable. He smiled and said, “Among the five families, the Li family specializes in beast-taming. You say Old Li was your master—how much of his skills have you learned?”

Jing Ling answered evenly, “Everything Master taught, I learned.” As for how much he taught—well, that wasn’t for outsiders to know.

The gray-robed elder snorted. “Boastful!”

At that moment, the old Jiang master spoke again. “Since you say that, we should see just how much of Old Li’s skills you’ve actually inherited. There was some trouble at the border recently—perfect timing for you to go and test yourself.”

People used to being above others always spoke even their requests as if they were granting favors.